Baffle for a firearm suppressor

ABSTRACT

The present invention describes a conically shaped baffle for use in a firearm suppressor or silencer wherein the gas inlet end of the baffle is angled downward and oblong shaped, which not only assist in allowing a higher flow of gas to pass through the inlet, but also directs the gas downward and away from the bore.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/490,243 filed Apr. 26, 2017. The entire contents of the above application are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to suppressors or silencers for firearms. More particularly, this invention relates to specialized firearm barrel adaptations for suppressing gunfire noise.

To fire a bullet from a firearm, gunpowder is ignited behind a bullet. The gunpowder creates a high-pressure pulse of hot gas. The pressure of the gas forces the bullet down the barrel of the gun. When the bullet exits the end of the firearm barrel, the pressure behind the bullet is immense and just like popping the cork on a bottle; the “pop” sound it creates is very loud. The sound is from the initial pressure wave coming out the barrel. Additional gas comes out after the initial pressure wave but not as much as initial wave.

Known suppressors or silencers typically consist of an outer housing that is connectable to the end of the firearm barrel by screw threads. Traditional suppressor or silencers have a larger volume compared to the barrel (20 or 30 times greater). With the suppressor or silencer in place, the pressurized gas behind the bullet has a big space to expand into, decreasing the pressure of the heated gas. When the bullet finally exits through the hole in the suppressor or silencer, the pressure being released is decreased; therefore, the sound of the gun firing is much softer.

The interior of the housing of typical suppressors or silencers support a plurality of individual cone-shaped baffle members separated by spacer members. There is a balancing act with suppressors or silencers used with many firearms. The baffles within the suppressors are needed to divert the gas from the bore in order to allow the gas to expand and depressurize; but, if the suppressor or silencer is too efficient in slowing gas down, it builds up an excess amount of pressure in the firearm barrel and causes the firearm to malfunction

As a suppressor or silencer typically functions, most erosion of air is right around the center of the bore of the suppressor or silencer because not only is gas and a projectile (bullet) traveling through the bore but also gunpowder and fillers are burning and traveling at speeds up to 6000 ft/s.

There are two types of traditional baffles in suppressors or silencers. The first type of baffle has a hollow tubular body of cylindrical cross section casing narrowing to a cone shape having sides that define an inlet and outlet end with an interior and exterior surface; the casing has an inlet end opening of circular cross section that is slightly greater in diameter than the bullet being discharged and is perpendicular to the bore; gas enters the baffle through the inlet end behind the bullet and exits the baffle through the outlet end. Although conically shaped walls of this baffle help disperse gas along its sides, the perpendicular shape of the inlet of this model does little to relieve back pressure or help direct gas away from the bore after it has passed through the inlet.

The other existing model baffle consists of an angled wall of circular cross-section within the bore that contains an oblong hole that the bullet and gas pass through; the oblong shape of the hole not only allows additional gas to pass through, which reduces back pressure, but also directs the gas downward away from the bore. However, the angular surface of this baffle is such that gas funneled towards the bottom side of the suppressor gets funneled back towards the bore.

As such, there would be an advantage of having a baffle that captures the benefits of having a conical shape with an angled oblong gas inlet end.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to meet these needs by providing a conically shaped baffle for use in a firearm suppressor or silencer wherein the gas inlet end of the baffle is angled downward and oblong shaped, which not only assist in allowing a higher flow of gas to pass through the inlet, but also directs the gas downward and away from the bore.

The present invention also provides an improved suppressor or silencer for a firearm with a tubular housing having an interior cavity with a plurality of baffles described above that are capable of being nested with complimentary baffles that are positioned within the tubular housing having a center point aligned with a longitudinal axis of the tubular housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a traditional suppressor or silencer for a firearm.

FIG. 2 depicts the direction gas travels in existing baffles in the art as well as in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side view of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional top view of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional side view of the suppressor of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a drawing of a side view showing one embodiment of the angular geometry of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a side view showing one embodiment of the angular geometry of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a drawing of a side view showing one embodiment of the angular geometry of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a drawing of a side view showing one embodiment of the angular geometry of the baffle of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a drawing of a side view showing one embodiment of the angular geometry of the baffle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to FIG. 1, a traditional suppressor or silencer for a firearm is shown in cross sectional detail. The tubular casing 100 is threaded at 110 onto the end of the firearm (not shown). The bullet travels along the path of A, exiting the hole 120. The gas travels along path A and exits out of hole 120. The gas also travels along path B and expands into the chambers created by a series of cone-shaped nested baffles, shown as 140A-G, which usually have a smooth and continuous outer surface 150.

Turning to FIG. 2, a series of baffles are displayed. In the top picture, a traditional cone shaped baffle is shown as having a flat plane around the throat of the baffle with a wall at a specific perpendicular angle with a hole for the bullet to travel; the angle of this hole does not help direct gas away from the bore. The middle image shows a traditional flat angled baffle with an oblong hole for the bullet to travel; the oblong shape of the hole not only allows additional gas to pass through, which reduces back pressure, but also directs the gas downward away from the bore. However, the angle of this baffle is such that gas funneled towards the bottom side of the suppressor before entering the inlet of the baffle is funneled back towards the bore.

The present invention design, and shown as the bottom image on FIG. 2, combines the strengths of the other designs depicted in FIG. 2 while excluding their limitations. First, the flat plane around the throat of the baffle has a downward angle which moves gas away from the bore. The baffle still has a circular opening when looking straight down the bore like in a traditional conical baffle, but due to the geometry of the inlet and corresponding walls of the invention, the hole at the gas inlet is oblong which allows more gas to go through it very close to bullet. Because the hole is angled and oblong, gas has a tendency to flow through at an angle and not straight down the bore as is the case with the traditional conical baffle depicted in the top image of FIG. 3.

Turning to FIGS. 3-5, the baffle of the present invention is a generally hollow tubular body of cylindrical cross section casing narrowing to a cone shape having sides that define an inlet and outlet end with an interior and exterior surface. The casing has an inlet end opening 400 for receiving gas into the baffle and an outlet end opening 410 through which the gas exits the baffle. The plane at the inlet end 400 of the baffle has a downwardly sloping surface 420. Nonetheless, because of the geometry used, and as shown in FIG. 4, the opening 430 created at the inlet end is still substantially circular.

Turning to FIG. 6, the suppressor or silencer for a firearm of the present invention is shown in cross sectional detail. As shown in the traditional suppressor or silencer of FIG. 1, the tubular casing 600 is threaded onto the end of the firearm at end 610. The bullet travels along the paths of A and out of end 620. The gas also travels along path B and expands into the chambers created by a series of the coneshaped nested baffles 630A-G. The baffles 630A-G directs the high pressure gas away from the center of the suppressor or silencer. The inlet end of the baffles 630A-G creates a downward angle 640. While FIG. 6 shows a suppressor or silencer with a plurality of baffles shown and described in FIGS. 3-5, it is also contemplated that only one or a select number of the baffles would be needed such that the baffles may be used in conjunction with other baffles of uniform thickness in a suppressor or silencer.

Turning to FIGS. 7-11, the various geometries of the downward angle 420 and resulting opening 430 created at the inlet end 400 under different possible baffle constructions are shown in further detail. These dimensions are merely suggestive and the subject invention anticipates all dimensions that would allow a conically shaped baffle to have an angled and oblong inlet end while maintaining a substantially circular opening at the inlet.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, this specific language intends no limitation of the scope of the invention, and the invention should be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake of brevity, conventional aspects of the system (and components of the individual operating components of the system) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice of the invention unless the element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical”. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A baffle for use in a firearm suppressor comprising: a. a hollow tubular body with an interior and exterior surface of substantially cylindrical cross section having ends that define a gas inlet and a gas outlet; b. the diameter of the gas inlet end is smaller than the diameter of the gas outlet end; c. the plane of the inlet end has a downward angle; wherein the opening of the inlet end remains substantially circular but the three-dimensional geometry of the opening created by the downward angle leaves the opening substantially oblong.
 2. A suppressor for a firearm comprising: a. a tubular member having a plurality of baffles, at least one of which includes a hollow tubular body with an interior and exterior surface of substantially cylindrical cross section having ends that define a gas inlet and a gas outlet; b. the diameter of the gas inlet end of the baffle is smaller than the diameter of the gas outlet end; and c. the plane of the inlet end of the baffle has a downward angle. wherein the opening of the inlet end remains substantially circular but the three-dimensional geometry of the opening created by the downward angle leaves the opening substantially oblong.
 3. A method for suppressing noise caused by a firearm comprising the steps of: passing propulsion gas through an inlet opening of at least one baffle within the suppressor having a structure defined by: a hollow tubular body with an interior and exterior surface of substantially cylindrical cross section; ends that define a gas inlet and a gas outlet; the diameter of the gas inlet end of the baffle is smaller than the diameter of the gas outlet end; the plane of the inlet end of the baffle has a downward angle; and the opening of the inlet end remains substantially circular but the three-dimensional geometry of the opening created by the downward angle leaves the opening substantially oblong. 